Hooper says Folau has never been in better form

Michael Hooper says he can’t recall Israel Folau being in better form than in the lead-up to the Ireland series.

Israel Folau, centre, with Wallabies teammates at Ballymore yesterday

Michael Hooper has seen Israel Folau at close quarters throughout his entire career in rugby and he can’t recall him being in better form than in the lead-up to the series against Ireland that begins on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium.

Folau scored two tries in NSW’s 52-41 victory over Queensland at that same venue last weekend and while he predictably attracted all the usual plaudits when he soared over the top of Reds fullback Jayden Ngamanu just before halftime, arguably his second try shortly after halftime provided a real sense of what Hooper was talking about yesterday.

Queensland centre Duncan Paia’aua lobbed a delicate chip kick over the heads of the NSW defensive line and for a tantalising second it seemed that Samu Kerevi would swoop on to the ball and set sail for the distant tryline. But out of the corner of one’s eye, Folau ghosted through at top pace, not seeming even to adjust when the ball took an odd kick, and powered through to score without a finger being laid on him.

As Reds coach Brad Thorn remarked afterwards, it was a moment to doff one’s cap and admire the brilliance of it all.

Hooper has been delighted with the form of the three Waratahs teammates who will control much of what happens in the Australian backline on Saturday, five-eighth Bernard Foley, inside centre Kurtley Beale and fullback Folau. Whatever the challenge, they have risen to it.

“They’ve been really keen to step up to that and been really consistent in whatever game is put in front of them, whether it be free flowing or one that is really tight,” said the Wallabies captain.

“Been really impressed with their development as players, game management-wise as well.”

But he saved his most fulsome praise for the 62-Test fullback.

“And Izzy, he is in some of the best form I have ever seen him in. That’s very helpful as well. It is enjoyable to be part of that at the moment.”

Despite all the controversy surrounding his postings on social media — which continued overnight on Twitter with a warning, “There’s a name for pastors who never speak of sin, repentance or hell — they’re called false teachers” — Folau looms as Australia’s primary weapon against an Irish side that pretty much has beaten all comers over the past 12 months.

Still, the side Joe Schmidt has moulded is far from a one-season wonder.

Six of the players who will be named tomorrow in what looks like a very predictable Irish side were members of the team that upset Australia 15-6 in Auckland during the 2011 World Cup pool round — Rob Kearney, Keith Earls, Johnny Sexton, Cian Healy, Conor Murray and Sean Cronin who was a replacement that night but, in the absence of talismanic captain Rory Best, is sure to be in the run-on side on Saturday.

So the nucleus of the side that totally outplayed the Wallabies on that occasion, with flanker Sean O’Brien — who missed this trip because of shoulder surgery in April — has stayed together under Declan Kidney and then Schmidt over the last seven years.

“They have been successful against all different types of teams, and teams that we have struggled with back in the last year,” said Hooper. “They haven’t got everyone coming out but I don’t think it will make a difference. They have had a really strong program there for a couple of years. It’s a great test for us as a squad to see where we’re at.

“We’re playing the No 2 team in the world and after them we play the No 1 team in the world (the All Blacks). So we’re lucky … I see it as a huge blessing that we get to play these guys at this point of the year.”

Playing three matches every season against the best side in world rugby plays havoc with Australia’s overall win-loss record but Hooper still sees that as a significant advantage.

“Learning from it and building that resilience, players working out how to swing that around, wanting to swing that around and being such a driving influence for us to be on the other side and be the players in the team that do that,” he said.

Despite the fact that Australia have won only three of their past eight Tests against Ireland, the tourists are clinging to all manner of reasons why they might finally beat the Wallabies in Australia, which last happened in 1979.

It turns out that the last time the Pope visited Ireland was … 1979. And he is coming again this year.

For good measure they’ll probably select James Ryan in the second-row. He has never lost a game of professional rugby in a career that so far stretches 23 matches.